Mamadou Sakho was delighted to help Crystal Palace to victory over Middlesbrough.

The defender is on-loan at Palace from Liverpool.

“My last game was 10 months ago but during this time I have been working hard on my fitness and after my performance it has all been worthwhile," Sakho said.

“I am really proud to be involved in this victory and from my point of view it is always about me giving my best when I am out on the pitch for the club, the team and the supporters.

“We played 12 against 11 in this game because the fans were really good for us and they gave us a lot of courage and confidence to go on and play with a lot of energy and it was nice to get the result for them.

“We played very well as a team, gave a strong performance and deserved the three points in a really difficult game. It was great though to come away with the win and we played with real heart to get the result."